Forget Me Not
by Scarlett H. Hamilton
Summary: Co-authored with Raven Lynn Morrigan. After the unthinkable happens Robin just can't let go. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Another of the stories that my cousin was going to trash. This one...well it got overly complicated and hard to follow. I'm stripping it back to the bare roots premise and getting rid of all the complicated stuff that doesn't need to be there. Hopefully when its done you will all agree that it was worth saving. This chapter is short-very short. Think of it mostly as a prologue.**

* * *

**Forget Me Not 1**

***~`1´~***

The Titans are in the middle of battle with Cinderblock who has gone on a destructive rampage through the city.

Cinderblock grabs a street lamp pulling it free and swings it hard and fast at Raven and Starfire who are flying in air.

It comes so fast Raven doesn't have time to avoid it and is sent flying into a nearby alley as she is hit.

Starfire grabs the lamp and jerks it away from Cinderblock.

Cinderblock stops suddenly and shakes his head dazed and confused. He doesn't know where he is or how he got here. When he sees the Titans he quickly launches into another attack.

Robin stops looking around. Something is wrong here. A quick glance of the area reveals that Raven is missing. He leaves the others to take down the villain and rushes off in search of her.

***~`'´~***

As Raven comes too pain wracks her body. She struggles to get up only to collapse on the ground. She freezes when she spots a dark shadow gathering in front of her. Raven tries again to get up but and run but it engulfs her body the last thing she sees is its glowing eyes.

Robin runs into the alley in time to see the shadow disappear. "Raven!" He kneels beside her but she doesn't so much as stir. He watches as she just stares up blankly into the dark starlit sky. "Raven?" Robin doesn't like how still she is laying there. He leans down close to her but can detect no breath coming from her. He quickly feels for a pulse but all he gets are a few faints beats then nothing. "No, Raven don't you dare give up!" Robin quickly begins CPR trying desperately to revive her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Forget Me Not 2**

***~`2´~***

"What kind of flowers are those?"

Robin looks back at Cyborg. "Forget-me-not. They are...were Raven's favorite." He finishes planting the flowers by the simple grave marker bearing the insignia from the broach Raven always wore on her cloak. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you. This is where you've spent most of your time over the last month. I know you're taking this hard we all are." Cyborg pauses trying to find the right words. "Raven wouldn't want you doing this to yourself Robin."

"How do you know what she would want?"

"Robin-"

"-You didn't know her like I did. We had a bond. We shared the very deepest part of ourselves with each other. She hated being alone did you know that? She wanted to be out having fun with everyone else but she couldn't risk it. That's how precarious her control over her powers were. She had to lock herself away and meditate to keep them in check."

"I'm sorry she had to do that. But that doesn't mean you have to spend every waking moment here at her grave."

"If you had the sort of connection that I did with her you couldn't let her go either."

"Is this about that dream you had three weeks ago?"

Robin turns looking up at Cyborg. "You call that a dream?"

"Nightmare then."

"I've had nightmares before. Raven being buried alive...that was worse than any nightmare could ever be."

"She was dead before you got to her Robin."

"I felt her pulse. It was slipping but it was there. Why do you think I tried so hard to save her that night?"

Cyborg sighs as he watches Robin decked out only in street clothes as he finishes with the flowers and stands up. This talk is not going at all how he had hoped. "Please come back to the tower Robin, everyone misses you."

"I'm not coming back. I'm leaving the Titans." Robin walks away leaving Cyborg standing there in shock.

* * *

**Part 2 wasn't any longer than the first one which is why I posted both of the chapters together.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Forget Me Not 3**

***~`3´~***

Robin or rather Richard now that he officially quit the Titans walks slowly toward to the small run down apartment where he has been staying when he isn't near Raven's grave. With her gone he feels like he has lost a part of himself. A part that he can't live without. He stops on impulse when he nears the library. One of Raven's favorite places he thinks. He finds himself walking up the stone steps and going inside. Richard wanders around the stacks of books. He thinks that Raven must have been in heaven when she was in here. Richard stops gazing at the mythical section, an area that he knows Raven often frequented when she was here.

"Can I help you with anything?"

Richard freezes at the sound of the voice behind him. At first he can't bring himself to turn around. That dream he had...could it possibly be? He turns around quickly. The girl doesn't have short cropped indigo hair. Its long and so blond its almost white. Nor does she have a red gem on her third eye chakra. Her eyes are the same color though and she is so very pale. He wonders could it possibly somehow be... "...Raven?"

"I get that reaction a lot. My name is Ragen."

"Ragen?" Richard snaps out of his shock as he sees her name tag only one letter different from Raven he notices. "I'm sorry, you just look so much like Raven."

"I've heard that everyday for the last three weeks."

Its been three weeks to the day since he had the nightmare about Raven being buried alive. "I'm sorry...its just a shock."

"Did you know her?"

"Yeah. This was one of the places she liked to hang out. I thought I would stop by on my way home and look around."

"If you need any help let me know. I'll be at the front desk."

Richard watches the girl walk away in shock. He practically staggers to a nearby chair as he mind reels with just how similar the girl looks and sounds to Raven. Working in a library is something he thinks that Raven would have been doing if she weren't a Titan. Three weeks he thinks again. She had said three weeks. Not a month which is how long it has been since Raven died. Could Ragen possibly somehow, someway really be Raven who very possibly hadn't really be dead after all. He had never really believed it. Not after paramedics had dragged him from her body that night in the alley. She had been taken away not by them but the county coroner her still form draped in a sheet until his arrival. On impulse he gets up and takes a random book from the shelf and heads back to the front desk. He stands there watching a few moments as Ragen checks out books to another patron.

"Ready to check out?"

"Yes."

"Do you have your card?"

Richard realizes he doesn't have one, at least not under his civilian name. "I need to sign up for one."

"No problem. Are you new to the city?"

"No. I just haven't checked out books here before."

"What about you?"

"I don't remember...its complicated. I would rather not talk about it." Ragen gets out a form and a pen. "I just need some information then I can issue you a card."

Richard quickly fills in the information on the form and signs his name. He watches as Ragen takes it and enters the information into the computer.

Ragen scans a plastic card with a bar code reader then she scans the book. "You're all set. Your book is due back in two weeks."

"Thank you."

"Have a nice day."

"You too." Richard's mind is still reeling as he exits the library. Ragen doesn't remember if she is new to the city and people have been commenting on how much she looks like Raven for three weeks. Three weeks ago was when he had the dream Raven was buried alive. It all makes his head ache as he tries to process it. The grave hadn't been disturbed, but Raven has powers she could have used to get out if she really had been buried alive. He really shouldn't jump to conclusions until he knows more, but he feels strongly that he shouldn't pass this off as a coincidence.

***~`'´~***

Richard spent the last several hours wandering around the city in thought. It is almost dark when he finally returns home. He looks up while unlocking the door as someone comes up the stairs and stops at the apartment next door. He does a double take when he realizes who it is. "Ragen?"

Ragen looks over at the guy. It takes her several moments but she finally remembers his name. "Richard...right?"

"Yeah. I saw you at the library earlier today."

"The library...yeah. I remember now. You'll have to forgive me, things get a little fuzzy in my head since..." Ragen shakes her head quickly changing the subject. "...so you live in this dump too?"

"Its a place to sleep at night."

"You must hibernate at night or something to get any sleep in this place."

Richard finds himself taken aback by the comment that is some much like something Raven might have said. "Actually I don't really get much sleep. Insomnia. Maybe a place to get off the streets at night is a better way to put it."

"That's about all its good for." She looks up at Richard. "Cut out the caffeine laden coffee and invest in earplugs and thick earmuffs. That might help you get over the insomnia and sleep at night around here."

"How do you know I drink caffeine laden coffee?"

Ragen points to the large coffee cup in his hand.

Richard looks down. He barely remembers stopping at a coffee shop to get it. "Right."

"I don't remember seeing you here before. Did you just move in?"

"A few nights ago."

Ragen points up to smoke detector on the wall in the hallway. "You might want to invest in your own smoke detector and light bulbs. The superintendent rarely fixes anything in this place."

"Thanks for the tips." He watches as Ragen leans heavily against the wall and holds her hand to her head. "Are you okay? Should I call a doctor?"

"No. I'll be fine. I just need to lay down for awhile."

Richard notices how much paler she suddenly looks. "Are you sure?"

"It will pass. It always does." Ragen quickly opens her door.

"Maybe you shouldn't be alone."

"I'm okay really." She slips into her apartment and locks the door before he can say anything else.

Richard stands there in the doorway wondering what is wrong and if he should get Ragen some help.

"Don't bother. It will just upset her."

He turns around to look at a scantly clad young woman coming out of the apartment across the hall.

"Ragen neglected to warn you that the walls are paper thin around here."

"Is she really okay?"

"That happens sometimes since she was found in the cemetery three weeks ago. She is always fine after some rest."

"Cemetery?"

The girl lowers her voice. "No one really knows what happened. Someone heard her screaming and found her there and some shadowy figure running off into the night. Near that Titan girls grave.

"Did you know her from before that?"

"No one I have talked to has seen her around before. People would have remembered someone that looked so much like Raven if they had seen her around before that. She moved in here after she got out of the hospital has been working at the library. I shouldn't be saying this...its too creepy to think about let alone talk about but some people think that she is really Raven back from the grave somehow."

Richard stares blankly at the girl for a few moments as he processes all she just said.

"Its ridiculous right?"

"Yeah..."

"I've got to get to work. Oh and the best way to get some sleep around here is to get a nighttime job. Its quiet around here during the day."

"Thanks." Richard watches the girl leave and goes inside his own apartment. He looks toward the wall that separates his apartment from Ragen's. She was found in the cemetery near Raven's grave three weeks ago. More and more evidence seems to be mounting in his mind that Ragen has to be Raven. It all fits together too well to be some coincidence. But why the drastic change in her hair and what happened to the charaka stone? He turns to his laptop to look up any news stories online posted about what happened in the cemetery the night Ragen was found. Richard quickly scans what little information there is to be found online about Ragen's sudden appearance. Everything he was told by the girl across the hall is there in the articles. He puzzles over the account by the person that found Ragen. It doesn't mention a shadowy figure. Instead it mentions a shadow with four glowing yellow eyes that was attacking the girl. From what else he can glean from the article Ragen had been found just in time and recovered in the hospital. Richard glances back toward the door as some rowdy guys, drunk by the sounds stomp up the stairs. As they whoop it up on their way down the hall he is about to turn back to the laptop when he hears something else. The girl across the hall had said the walls were paper thin. He approaches the wall separating his apartment from Ragen's. Its faint but he clearly hears the sounds of distress coming from next door. Richard quickly leaves his apartment and walks next door to hers. He knocks on the door but there is no answer. He is about to call out when latch pops open. Richard glances around before he enters Ragen's apartment. He quickly locates her laying on the sofa-thrashing so violently she is about to fall off it. He kneels beside her gently shaking her shoulder trying to get her to wake up only to quickly realize she is having some sort of seizure. He lifts her up from the sofa and lays her down on the floor. He doesn't try to restrain her jerking but does hold her head still.

After sometime Ragen opens her eyes. She is shocked to find Richard hovering above her. She looks up at him quizzically but her mind hasn't cleared enough to voice any questions.

"I heard you from my apartment. I thought something might be wrong after the way you looked when you came inside."

"Was I that loud?"

"Not really but I hear the walls are pretty thin."

"I knew I was forgetting something."

"Maybe I should go call a doctor."

"I'm fine. Really. It happens. There is nothing any doctor can do to stop it. How did you get in?"

"The door popped open after I knocked."

"I told you the super never fixes anything around here." Ragen struggles to sit up.

"Are you sure you're OK? I would feel better if you let me take you to the hospital at least to get checked out."

"No more hospitals." Ragen climbs back up on the sofa with Richard's help. "I hated it there. They acted like I was some sort of freak of nature or something. Doctors kept wanting to run tests like they were trying to find out what I was. She looks over at Richard. "That was when the Raven comments started, because I couldn't remember anything. They brought in some...I don't know robot guy or something to see if maybe I really was her, even though she had been dead a week at the time."

Richard looks at her in shock. That could only have been Cyborg. He knew about Ragen the whole time and kept it a secret. Even after that nightmare about Raven being buried alive. "What did he say?"

"I don't know. Things get fuzzy in my mind. I wasn't breathing when I was found and hadn't been for awhile apparently. It messed up my brain."

"Oxygen deprivation?"

"Something like that."

Richard's mind is screaming at him that this is Raven it has to be. In the moonlight that streams through the window he can see her hair isn't really so blond it looks white, it really is white. That description of the shadow that attacked her...its eyes...something about its eyes sounds so familiar. Trigon he suddenly thinks. For whatever reason her father is reaching out from wherever he was banished trying to get to Raven. Richard looks down at Ragen who is looking up at him. "If you won't let me take you to the hospital will you at least let me fix the door?"

Ragen cringes at the sound of the drunk group down the hall. "I can live with that."

* * *

**raven lynn morrigan worked at a library while she was in college and she says that 'stacks' is library slang for shelves of books. Near as she could tell from what I was describing to her, she says mythical type books would show up in the 001-100 section of that dewy decimal thing just in case anyone is wondering. She wonders why Raven in the story would have an interest in subjects like UFOs and Bigfoot. I don't know it was the best I could come up with at the time I wrote it.**

**Is Ragen somehow really Raven? Robin seems to think so but only my cousin, raven lynn morrigan and I know for sure. We aren't telling you will just have to stay tuned to the story to find out. I got permission from raven lynn morrigan to combine this revamped story with an idea I've toyed with writing for a couple of years. Unlike the other group of stories (excluding The Girl in the Magical Mask which isn't apart of that group) I feel I've mostly just edited to this point, this story is an actual joint writing venture between the two of us.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Are you confused yet? That was my goal. Show of hands in a review please. How many out there thinks that Ragen is Raven? How many don't think that she is?**

* * *

**Forget Me Not 4**

***~`4´~***

Richard tosses and turns all night long when he returns to his apartment. Everything that he has learned about Ragen floods his mind and keeps him awake. He can't come to any conclusion other than she is Raven. He can't understand why Cyborg didn't say anything to him to him about her. Surely he can't be the only one to see that all the facts point to Ragen being Raven.

***~`'´~***

At daybreak he heads back to the cemetery. Is there a body in the grave? He finds himself doubting that now. He occupies himself by searching for a missing chakara stone that must have come off when she was attacked like the newspaper reports said. Its a long shot finding anything after all this time but he resolves to remain objective not to make up his mind for sure that Ragen is Raven unless he finds proof short of digging up the grave. He would never get away with that. When he is about to give up he finds it lodged in the grass next to the grave stone not far from where he planted the flowers. How could he have missed it then he wonders as he picks it up and looks it over. Its identical to Raven's. He pockets it as he gets up and leaves for the library.

***~`'´~***

When he gets to the library it isn't Ragen that is behind the front desk. Rather than inquire after her he looks around until he spots her shelving books.

Ragen looks up from her task as she is approached by Richard. "Back for more books already?"

"No. I needed to talk to you. Its important."

"I'm busy right now. Can't this wait until later?" She turns back to the books and places them on the shelf.

"No, it can't. I've been doing some research about what happened to you...and I'm convinced that you're Raven."

Ragen freezes with a book half-way inserted into its place on the shelf. She speaks without turning to look at him. "Not again. I've heard this all from nutcases before."

"Did anyone of those nutcases find this? It was by the grave where you were attacked."

She turns glancing from what he holds out in his hand to his face. "Its a gem. You could have gotten it from any jeweler." Ragen turns back to the book still in her hand and slides it all the way onto the shelf. "Its not the nutcases that try to pull that trick its the pervs who had to hots for Raven and want to get me in bed as some sort of look a like surrogate to dress up and play with. I was hoping you might be different. Just leave me alone." Ragen walks away before he can say more.

Richard wanders around in a daze after leaving the library. How could Ragen not see that she is Raven he wonders? Maybe he just needs to calmly talk to her later and explain everything he has discovered. He should have waited instead of springing it on her while she was busy at work.

***~`'´~***

As Ragen returns to her apartment she looks around nervously for any sign of Richard. After today at the library she doesn't want to be around him anymore. Everyone else approaching her like he did today was just someone looking to substitute her for the real thing...but Richard? He had claimed to know Raven and she thinks there is some deeper issue with him and it creeps her out. She thinks it would be best to steer clear of him from now on. She finds herself scared that he may be twisted enough not to use her as some substitute but to attempt to make her into what he can't let go of. Coming back here alone now seems like a very bad idea to Ragen. She starts to turn and leave when she comes face to face with Richard. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you come upstairs. I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have blurted that out like I did."

"You must have cared deeply for Raven and I'm sorry that you lost her."

"You can't remember anything from before you were attacked so how do you know you aren't Raven?"

"She was dead and buried a week before that happened. Why can't you let this go? I'm not Raven and I can't take her place in your life if that is what you are after. Stay away from me please." Ragen quickly enters her apartment and locks the door. As an afterthought she gets a chair and wedges it under the door knob so he can't try to come in after her.

Richard stands there staring at the closed door. She is Raven, she has to be. He just needs to make her see that and he can't do that in a place with paper thin walls. He returns to his own apartment.

***~`'´~***

How does he talk to Ragen, he wonders when she wants nothing to do with him now? Richard paces the floor all night pondering that. He just wants to get her alone some place private where they can calmly talk. He stops only when he hears Ragen getting ready for work. When he hears her leave her apartment he peeks outside. If he is going to get her alone long enough to convince her then he will have to be waiting for her when she returns to the apartments from work.


	5. Chapter 5

**My****cousin****looked****over****this****story****and****is****laughing****at****me.****I****wrote****Ragen****wearing****a****name****tag****and****acting****like****a****clerk****working****in****a****bookstore****rather****than****a****library.****raven****lynn****morrigan,****my****cousin,****who****worked****in****a****library****says****they****don't****do****those****things****there.****Maybe****they****don't****have****name****tags,****I****did****that****to****emphasize****the****spelling****of****the****name****Ragen.****I****would****be****so****board****if****I****worked****in****a****library****I****would****wander****around****just****to****see****if****anyone****needed****help****with****anything,****which****was****my****reasons****for****writing****it.****Now****that****she****pointed****that****out****is****kind****of****funny****though.****The****holidays****were****hectic****and****I****didn't****have****time****to****write****anything****over****them.****We've****been****short****staffed****where****I****work****for****a****long****time****so****I****haven't****had****much****spare****time****to****write****lately.****I****had****a****little****bit****of****a****vacation****so****I****decided****to****try****finishing****this****story.**** T****his**** wa****s****to****be****the****final****chapter****but****I****had****an****idea****for****a****story****a****while****back****I****never****wrote**** which ****lended****itself****perfectly****to****combine****into****this****one****so****I****decided****to**_**Kill**__**Two**__**Birds**__**With**__**One**__**Stone**_**so****to****speak.****If****you've****been****dying****to****know****is****she****or****isn't****she****Raven****you****will**** have to wait a little longer ****to****find****out****the****answer****to****that.**

**Forget****Me****Not****5**

***~****`5****~***

Ragen has been looking over her shoulder all day at work. She expects to see Richard around every corner. Of all the people she has met that want her to be Raven, Richard scares her. As she is getting ready to leave work she looks down at her keys suddenly remembering that he fixed the door to her apartment. He didn't bother her last night but for all she knows he fixed it where he could get in and be waiting for her when she gets back and at a time that almost no one will be in the building that isn't passed out stone cold drunk. Ragen doesn't think its a good idea to go back to the apartment. She doesn't have the money for a motel room. The robot guy that came to the hospital...didn't he give her something to call them if any bad guys bothered her? She searches frantically through her purse before she finds it. Richard may not be the type of bad guy he was he was talking about which is why she doesn't use it. She pockets it as she heads out the door. She must look like the most paranoid person on the planet she realizes as she keeps looking around her for any sign of Richard. When she can't take it anymore she ducks into the Dark Rose Cafe and takes a seat in a dark booth at the very back of the place. She nearly screams when a waitress steps up to the table.

"Haven't seen you in a few days Ragen...what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

She is relieved its Emma, the only friend she has in this city. "A ghost I could handle."

"Another guy following you around?"

Ragen nods. "This one claims to have known Raven. His apartment is right next to mine. He scares me. He doesn't want the fantasy...I think he wants me to be what he lost."

"You just stay here until I get off work. You can stay with me for awhile. My boyfriend can go by your apartment and pick up whatever you need."

"I don't want to put you in danger."

"Danger?" Emma looks around at her boss at the counter. "Alright if I take my break a little early?" She sits down after getting the OK from her boss. "This guy spooks you that bad?"

Ragen nods. "The robot guy that came to the hospital said to call him if any bad guys bothered me but I don't think this is what he meant."

"I don't care if it is the kind of bad guy he meant or not. Call him. If this is some psycho nutcase the cops won't be much help until he threatens you or tries to hurt you and a restraining order would probably just be a joke to him."

She takes the communication device from her pocket and looks at it. It looks like some sort of high tech cell phone device. Ragen looks nervously up at Emma. "What if he says no?"

"Ragen I love you but sometimes you are just a little too timid for your own good." Emma takes the device from Ragen. She has seen Raven in here often enough with one like it, or the very same one for all she knows and it doesn't take her long to figure out to operate it.

***~****`'****~***

Cyborg closes the hood of the T-car after finishing his maintenance work. He is about to head upstairs when he receives a communication. He frowns when he sees who its from. He has been dreading the day when one of the bad guys they fought found the girl. "Cyborg here."

"This is Ragan's friend Emma. Not sure what sort of bad guy you said to call about if she had any trouble but from what she tells me there is a Grade A certifiable psycho who had the hots for Raven out to make Ragen into what he lost."

Cyborg's frown deepens. The Grade A certifiable psycho part dredged up thoughts of Slade, but the last part tells him all he needs to know and the situation that would have been bad enough if it were Slade just got that much worse. "The psycho's name wouldn't happen to be Richard or even Dick would it?"

***~****`'****~***

Ragen nods wide-eyed as the name of the guy is mentioned.

Emma speaks into the device. "That would be yes. You know him?"

"I thought I did. Raven's death really screwed the guy up. Where is Ragen now?"

"Dark Rose Cafe. I told her to wait until my shift was over then come home with me. This Richard has an apartment right next to hers."

"That's a good idea. Don't even stop by her apartment to pick up anything."

"Didn't plan to. I was going to send my boyfriend over there."

"No-wait until I call and tell you its OK first. I'm going to go have a talk with this guy. If he won't listen to reason I know who call. Cyborg out."

Emma looks over at Ragen. "That wasn't so hard was it?"

Ragen scoffs as Emma hands her the device. "For you maybe. I'm not that bold."

"I'll help you work on that. My boyfriend teaches Karate. It wouldn't hurt for you to learn some self defense moves." Emma gets up. "I have a few more hours to go in my shift. Just wait right here. Want a mocha latte?"

Ragen nods. She sinks deeper into the shadows of the booth as Emma steps away.


	6. Chapter 6

**I could have tacked this onto the end of the last chapter but I thought it would be better on its own.**

* * *

**Forget****Me****Not**** 6**

***~****`6****~***

After talking to Ragen's friend Emma, Cyborg had intended to go to the cemetery. He quickly realized that if Richard thinks Ragen is Raven then he would have no further reason to go there. Cyborg still has the holographic ring he once used to go under cover and debates whether or not he should go in disguised when he sees the neighborhood. A Titan confronting a guy in what must be a run down apartment would look very odd. If it gets heated he doesn't want Ragen in anyway linked to the Titans and end up drawing attention to her from the bad guys. A part of him regrets letting her run loose in the city, but at the time having her anywhere near the then still Robin would have been a very bad idea. He drives back into the city and parks the T-car. A walk he decides after dawning the holographic ring might help him calm down. Had Richard been anywhere near him just after he got the call from Emma he likely would have decked him to try knocking some sense into him.

***~****`'****~***

It is several hours passed the time that Ragen should have come back to the apartment Richard thinks. He is beginning to think that she went home with a friend after his last several encounters with her. He looks up when there is a knock at the door. No way would she come to him. Part of him panics thinking that maybe she called the police, but they couldn't really do anything to him for just having talked to her.

"Richard open up I know you're in there."

"Cyborg?" Richard goes over to the door and opens it. He is met not with the sight of half robot Cyborg but a holographically fully human one. "What are you doing here?"

"Came over to talk."

Richard lets him in. "How did you know where I was?"

"I figured you would be in the last place anyone other than a certain nocturnal echo locating mammal man would think to look for Richard Grayson."

"Did he send you?"

"No but he did call looking for you. From the way he sounded if you aren't back by the next time he calls then he will come looking for you."

"I left the team."

"I told him that, but he is concerned about you. We all are."

"You came all this way just to tell me that?"

"I came to tell you that maybe you should really think about getting some help."

"Help? How can anyone help me with something that no one else could possibly understand?"

"I was in her mind once. So was BB. It may not have been as strong as what you had with her, but we aren't completely clueless as to what you are going through. That isn't the kind of help I was referring to."

"What kind of help are you referring to then?"

"The kind that helps you differentiate between a girl that died and one that is alive and happens to look a lot like her."

"You knew about her all this time."

"Yes I knew. She called me too...because you are scaring her. This is why I didn't tell you. You're messed up and I was afraid this is how you would react. She has enough problems without you going all obsessive stalker on her."

"I never stalked her. I had no idea she lived next door."

"I'm not saying you did know that but don't tell me you haven't been finding out everything there is to know about her and trying to make her into someone in your mind that she isn't based on a few coincidences."

"How can she not be? She appeared when I had the nightmare about Raven being buried alive."

"Don't do this. That girl is not Raven."

"How do you know? Did you do any DNA tests? Did you check the grave for a body?"

"I don't know enough about half of Raven's DNA to make that determination and neither do you. You want to check for a body? Come on lets go. I've got state of the art sensors that can tell if a body is the grave or not. You can stand right there and watch. I'll even let you run the scan if that will convince you."

"I don't need a scan. I know who she is."

"Listen to yourself. What would the old you do to help someone who said that? Not let them go on like you are now that's for sure. You aren't just hurting yourself here. Ragen suffered enough from the attack that left her in the hospital with no memory of her past. She doesn't need you going looney tunes on her. Let it go now. I'm begging you. I don't want to have to put in the call to you know who to tell him that you've lost it, but I will if I have to."

"Call him. I don't care. Now if you will excuse me I have work to do."

"Where?"

"Somewhere that even a certain nocturnal echo locating mammal man wouldn't think to look for Richard Grayson."

Cyborg stands in the apartment in shock for several moments after Richard leaves before following him outside. When he gets to the street there is no sign of him anywhere.

Richard watches Cyborg from the shadowed alley way of a nearby building. Getting Ragen alone to convince her of what he knows to be true just got much more complicated.

* * *

**The_ "nocturnal echo locating mammal man"_ line is an homage to one of my favorite Mythbusters episodes ever in which Adam said it. I dunno why Robin in this story gets worked up at the mention of his one time mentor and partner, which is why I had Cyborg quote what the Mythbusters called Batman. It was a holdover from my cousin's original version of this story based on something that was supposed to have happened between the two in a Batman cartoon. I have no idea which one or what it or the circumstances behind it is.**


	7. Chapter 7

This is the part of the story where it veers away from what was originally written by my cousin Raven Lynn Morrigan and picks up the story idea I came up with and never wrote. I OKed the change with my cousin before writing it this way. She said basically to do whatever changes I wanted since the stories are in my hands to finish. That's the definition of co-authoring I guess, or close enough for government work anyway. Her version of 'Forget Me Not' had a bad ending and the story idea I came up with was never written because it had a bad beginning. The two have similar themes and pair very well together to make a complete story.

* * *

**Forget****Me****Not**** 7**

***~****`7****~***

The next day Richard looks around the backrooms of the library hidden under a wide brimmed baseball cap and carrying a backpack of supplies. If caught he looks like a college student looking for a quiet place to study-but the backpack doesn't hold any textbooks. If Cyborg had made good on his threat to call Batman, Ragen certainly wouldn't be here at work today. She would be hidden somewhere for him to track down and get caught in some trap by the bat and hauled off to an asylum. No he decides Cyborg is planning one last ditch effort to get him to come to his senses. One that includes an eye being kept on Ragen at all times and apparently by a Titan in disguise when possible.

Outfitting Beast Boy with a holographic ring might have worked if not for the fact that even in disguise he sticks out in a place of learning like Starfire with her distinctive vocabulary trying to fit in an internet chat room. With Beast Boy's ability to shape shift and follow Ragen anywhere, Richard knows he is going to have to work fast to grab her. It needs to be when she's on a break alone somewhere Beast Boy wouldn't go. He could turn into a bug and follow anywhere but horny peeping tom stage in that respect is something the changeling hasn't yet attempted. That makes the only place Beast Boy would leave her alone for any length of time the bathroom.

Richard creeps back the area waiting in the shadows for sometime to make sure its empty before he ventures into the ladies room. This is an older building with a frosted glass window. One that opens by a hand crank. It would be close but with it fully opened he could just barely squeeze out of it he thinks. He studies it looking to see if an alarm would be triggered if he tries to open it. There might be a beeper to say its open somewhere this time of day but he doesn't see that as a problem in the short term. When he is satisfied there is no active alarm he tries to open it. At first the crank refuses to turn but after applying a little pressure it slowly begins to move. Richard opens it just enough to peer out. The window opens on the alley. It is high up off the ground but below is a closed dumpster. He closes the window then checks the stalls looking for one which takes a lot of force to pull open and anyone in a hurry to go wouldn't think about it being locked and go to another stall rather than trying to wrestle it open. When he finds one he enters and locks the door. He sits on top of the old tank style toilet and hunkers down so no one sees him. There he waits.

***~****`'****~***

Ragen looks back at the kid following her that the robot guy sent to keep an eye on her. "You don't need to follow me everywhere."

"Cyborg said not to let you out of my sight."

"So you're going to follow me into the bathroom?"

"Maybe I should take a quick look around in there just to be safe."

Richard perks up at the sound of voices outside the bathroom door. This is the moment he has been waiting for. If he is going to convince Ragen that she is really Raven as he knows her to be he has to get her away from anyone that would try to keep her away from him. That means getting her out of the city even if she isn't willing to go. He takes off his backpack and takes out a takes out a small bottle of chloroform which he dowses on a rag.

Ragen at least peeks inside to make sure no ladies are standing at the sinks that would freak out at seeing a guy. When she sees no one she shrugs and stands aside.

Beast Boy takes a look at the bottom of all the stall doors. It seems to be empty. Any smells he might pick up on of anyone hiding is made impossible by the heavy scent of air freshener. He sniffs deep just to make sure he doesn't pick up on anyone before leaving the bathroom. "Seems clear, but I'll wait outside. Scream if he pops out of the ceiling or something."

"The ceiling? Seriously?"

"I wouldn't put it past him."

Ragen shrugs as she enters the bathroom. As the door closes she hesitates. She has the urge to open the door and let the guy check again. After a few moments she chalks it up to nerves and goes into the nearest stall.

Richard quietly opens the lock on the door. An idea occurs to him as the air conditioning system kicks in. He uses the whoosh of air blasting into the room to cover the sound of him opening the stall door as he gets down off the back of the toilet tank. He quickly opens the window then retreats back into the stall leaving it part way open this time.

Ragen freezes with her hand on the lock of the stall door after she is finished. Did she just hear someone shuffling around in here? As jumpy as she has suddenly become she reasons that maybe the noise is from the air system is playing tricks with her mind. She opens the stall door and goes over to the sink where she washes her hands. As she is about to leave she freezes when she spots the open window. Was it open before she wonders? Ragen doesn't think so, but then she wasn't really paying attention to it. Part of her wants to turn and run back out into the hall, but being an employee its her job to make sure the window is closed before someone gets the idea to sneak out it and gets hurt.

He holds his breath waiting for Ragen to approach the window. At first he thinks she is going to ignore it but then he sees her pass into view as she walks over to the window. He waits until she is occupied with trying to close it before he pulls the door fully open and grabs her. Richard clamps the chloroform soaked rag over her mouth and nose before she has a chance to scream.

It happens so fast that Ragen doesn't register the attack until a rag is held over her mouth and nose and an arm clamped around her pinning her arms to her sides. She tries to scream but becomes very light headed as she tries to draw breath through the rag.

"Don't fight it...its okay I won't hurt you." Richard speaks low in her ear. "I'm just going to take you somewhere that we can be alone and I can help you remember."

As Ragen struggles to free herself from the attacker's grasp a part of her mind registers that it is Richard before everything goes dark.

Richard looks back at the door as Ragen collapses limp into his arms. He has to work quickly. He picks Ragen up slipping her through the window and down on top of the dumpster. He then takes off the backpack and slips it through the window before he climbs out. He pauses looking at the chain link fence that separates the alley from the employee parking lot where he left his rental car. He checks the dumpster to find its on rollers. He releases the brake and pushes it over to the fence. Climbing back up on it he tosses the backpack over the fence. He quickly picks up Ragen and tosses her over his shoulder makes the short climb to the top of the fence and drops down to the other side with the practiced ease of a one time superhero. He quickly picks up the backpack and rushes over the rental car. He looks around to make sure there are no observers as he opens the trunk and lays Ragen down inside it. Just to keep her quiet he takes a roll of duct tape from the backpack and tears off a strip which he places over her mouth. He rolls her onto her stomach and brings her wrists together behind her back winding several rounds of tape over them. Richard takes one last look around before closing the trunk. He quickly gets in and starts the engine. As he pulls out onto the road heading out of the city he turns up loud music to drown out any noise Ragen might make if she wakes up before he takes her where they are going.


	8. Chapter 8

**Forget ****Me ****Not**** 8**

***~****`8****~***

Richard stops the rental car in a little mountain resort town half a day later. Part of him can't help but wonder if the Titans have called for help from his one time mentor to reign him in yet or if Beast Boy is still standing outside the bathroom door at the library. It was mid-morning when he left and it must be near closing time there now. He listens carefully when he cuts the engine to see if Ragen is awake or if she is still unconscious. When he doesn't hear anything he gets out of the car and approaches the trunk. He waits for sometime pretending to check the rear tire to make sure she isn't waiting for him to step away before she can start making noise. When he is satisfied she must still be unconscious he approaches the cabin rental office where he called ahead for a secluded mountain cabin.

The owner looks up as he sees the young man step inside. "You must be the college student looking for a quiet place to study."

Richard glances up at the old man. "Yeah. I needed to get out of the city for awhile."

"Kind of late in the year to be in school isn't?"

"Summer courses. I would like to finish school as soon as possible."

"In a hurry to be done with it eh? Its good to see a motivated young person. Most people your age that come up here just want to party." He pulls out the rental agreement form as the young man lays down some money.

Richard signs the paper. "I never had much interest in partying."

***~****`'****~***

Cyborg frowns after his call to Batman. He should have made it sooner but he kept hoping that Robin, no Richard now, would come to his senses. He has to give the guy credit the dumpster thing made it look like Ragen got tired of being watched and skipped out by sneaking out of the bathroom and ditching Beast Boy. It looked just like she moved a dumpster to climb over a fence and skip out in a car. Only trouble is she doesn't have a car or even a license to drive if she could afford to rent one. They have no idea which way Richard might have gone, but Cyborg is sure that he left town.

***~****`'****~***

Richard made one last stop at a small mom and pop grocery store to pick up a few food items until he has more time for shopping. They also had a small selection of flowers available and he was glad to find forget-me-not among them He thought given the extremes he has gone to the Raven's favorite flower might smooth things over and help her calm down. He looks over at the pot in the front floor board as he stops the car in front of the cabin.

As Ragen begins to awaken she notices how much her head aches. That is nothing unusual she has had headaches often. She wonders why its so hot and stuffy and dark. She tries to move only to discover that her hands are bound behind her back. Its then that what happened comes back to her. Someone grabbed her at the library and she had thought that it was Richard when he spoke. She frantically tries to free her hands but the tape holds them tight.

Richard takes the purchases inside before he turns his attention to the trunk. No way could she still be sleeping he thinks, unless he dosed her with too much chloroform. He approaches the trunk cautiously just in case she has been awake for awhile and plotting ways to escape.

As the trunk of what she realizes is a car opens, Ragen shuts her eyes against the glaring early evening sun.

When the sunlight hits her forehead, Richard finds himself momentarily stunned. On her forehead is a slightly paler diamond shaped patch of skin that matches the size of the gem he found at the cemetery. "I thought you would be awake by now."

Realizing the situation that she is now in, rather than panic, Ragen becomes angry at herself for not trusting her instincts and getting that guy to check again. She also becomes angry at Richard for doing this to her. She twists away from him as he tries to grab her and kicks out with one leg. Pain flares in her foot and ankle from the force as she connects with the side of his head.

Richard staggers backward and falls to one knee from the force of the blow. He shakes his head as he is momentarily dazed from the blow. He quickly gets up and grabs the girl before she can get out of the trunk and run away. "Easy...I'm not going to hurt you. I admit I deserved that. I'm sorry for this. I just didn't know any other way to get you alone and make you listen to me."

Ragen has to force herself to calm down. She realizes that struggling isn't going to be good for anything other than getting her tied to a chair or something and reduce her chances of escape to near zero. She doesn't try anything as he lifts her from the car and carries her into the cabin.

Richard sits Ragen down on the sofa and steps away from her. "If you promise not to scream I will remove the gag."

Ragen nods. One brief glance of the area was enough to tell her that screaming would be pointless. She whimpers in pain as he pulls the tape from her mouth.

"Sorry. I didn't give much thought to this. It was a spur of the moment thing."

She very much doubts that. He must have had all night to think of this after the robot man talked to him. She just glares at him. Ragen doesn't trust herself to say anything. The last thing she needs to do right now is provoke this guy.

He turns around and picks up the flowers. "I got you these. Forget-me-not...your favorite."

Ragen wants to scream at him that she isn't Raven and ask why he can't get that through his head but before she can speak she begins to sneeze. She jerks her head away. "Get it away please...I'm allergic to flowers."

Richard looks at her bewildered for a few moments. Raven was never allergic to flowers. Finally he puts them in the kitchen area.

Finally she dares to say something. "I can't be who you want me to be."

He turns to Ragen. "You just need to remember that's all."

Ragen sighs. "Will you untie my hands please?" She tries to think of something to distract him from what seems to be his mission of turning her into Raven. "Its getting late. I could cook something. I'm good that. I have been working at the library until I found a place that needs someone with cooking skills. I must have applied to every restaurant in the city."

"Cook?" Richard gaps at the girl. Raven was never known for her culinary skills.

"My friend Emma says I make the best pancakes she has ever tasted...and according to her its hard to say that about anyone's cooking when both her parents are professional chefs." Ragen looks up at Richard. "What's wrong?"

"You cook?"

"Yeah. Its just something I have a knack for."

"Raven could never cook. I tried to teach her but...she was bad at it. She would have lived off pizza if there was no one else to cook for her."

Ragen hopes he is finally starting to get that she isn't Raven.

"I'm not hungry right now. I got some herbal tea if you want any."

"I hate tea."

Richard looks at the girl wide eyed. "You hate tea?"

***~****`'****~***

Several hours later its very dark outside with not even a sliver of moonlight outside. Regan lays down in the small bedroom. Mentally she is exhausted. She has spent hours trying to convince Richard everything he thinks about her being Raven is just some coincidence. She may not remember her past but one thing she feels with every fiber of her being is that she is not Raven. She sits up when she hears light snoring from the main room. She pulls at her still bound hands again but can't free them. She gets up and at first thinks of asking him to at least free them and let her go to the bathroom. There are several things she could pick up and hit him over the head with. Instead of trying that she finds herself easing over toward the door. She turns around and grasps the knob with her hands. With all the trouble that must have gone into getting her here the guy failed to lock the door as it turns easily. She pulls it open and creeps outside. Despite all the stars in the sky the light out here isn't much better. At any moment she expects to feel a hand on her shoulder. She quickly breaks into a run hoping to get some distance on him if he does wake up soon.

Richard tosses uneasily on the sofa from a dream in which the Titans are at a carnival. He watches as Raven wanders off alone toward the house of mirrors. He runs after her fearing he will lose her again if he lets her out of her sight. He sees many retreating reflections of her but can't ever find her. Finally he comes upon her in a chamber by herself with reflections all around. Something about the reflections don't quite match up with the person in front of him. "Raven! I've been looking all over for you." He notes the look of confusion as the girl turns toward him.

"My name isn't Raven."

Something about the hair on the girl is wrong he thinks. The dream quickly fades away as Richard rolls off the sofa and hits his head on the coffee table in front of it. His heart is pounding in his chest. Raven was so close in the dream. He almost had her.

Ragen can barely see but the sound of the rushing water catches her attention. She follows it to what she can only assume in the dark is a rushing stream. She hopes following it will lead her to some help.

Richard gets up and paces around trying to make sense of his dream. He turns on a light and peers into the bedroom to find it empty. He checks the bathroom to find it empty. He turns towards the door to find it open. How could he be so stupid. Locking it and making sure she couldn't escape had completely slipped his mind when he realized how many key things about Raven wasn't true for the girl calling herself Ragen. He rushes outside. "Raven!"

Ragen freezes when she hears Richard call out. It is hard for her to tell how far away he is. She runs faster along the stream bank. She becomes careless in her desire to escape and slips on the steep bank. As she falls into the stream below she hits her head on a rock.

Richard could swear he not only hears Raven calling to him but he can actually see her running through the trees. "Raven?" This is too eerily similar to his dream as he runs after her. No matter how fast he runs he can't quite catch up to her. Finally she stops only to appear to leap down some sort of embankment. When he reaches it and looks down he sees the stars overhead reflecting in a stream. Those reflected stars are broken by a human shaped form. He leaps down and lifts the girl out of the running water. Carrying her up on the bank he realizes that she isn't breathing. He lays her down and just like the night he lost Raven, Richard checks for a pulse. Its there but growing faint he leans over to preform mouth to mouth to get her breathing. He is afraid for many tense moments that he has lost her again but finally she begins to breathe again. "Raven?" He shakes her gently but she doesn't wake up. Richard picks her up and carries her back to the cabin.


	9. Chapter 9

**Forget ****Me ****Not**** 9**

***~****`9****~***

_She finds herself in the cemetery. Its so dark and creepy here but she dare not go during the day. She stops looking down at a grave marker. As she runs her fingers across it she finds herself falling to her knees sobbing. Suddenly she's choking as she sees two glowing yellow eyes. She tries to escape with her powers only to be slammed against the grave stone. The pain in her head is immense. She screams as the shadow with the eyes pounce on her. It chokes off her screams as she struggles to breathe._

Richard rushes over to the girl as she suddenly gasps for breath. "Wake up. Its just a bad dream."

She sits up suddenly looking around wildly as she realizes that she is back in the bedroom of the cabin.

"You were having a dream about being buried alive weren't you?"

Suddenly it all comes rushing back to her. As she realizes her hands have been freed from their bonds she pushes Richard away from her. "How could I be buried alive when I never died?"

"What? Then were have you been all this time?"

"I was going to her grave...Raven's grave when I was attacked by a shadow with four glowing eyes."

"Raven's grave?"

"Don't you get it yet? I'm not Raven. She was my twin sister."

"Twin sister? No she never said anything about that. We had a bond...I would have known if-"

"-She didn't know. Neither did I. Our mother never told me about Raven until she died. Raven was the portal for our father. My powers were a joke compared to Raven's but they thought if I knew about her that I would try to interfere with her destiny."

"You're Raven...you have to be."

"You must have loved her. Believe me I wish she were still here too...I would have loved to get to know her. Nothing either of us can do will bring her back. I can't be what she was to you just because I look like her."

Richard remembers the dream he had earlier. The girl he tracked down in the hall of mirrors looked like Raven but she was different and said that wasn't her name when he spoke to her. He remembers thinking just before waking that it was the hair that was different. He touches the long white strands of Raven's hair. "Your hair is different."

Ragen looks up at Richard hoping that he is finally starting to understand. "It has always been long and white."

"You hate tea and you can cook."

She nods.

Richard collapses heavily on the bed beside Ragen. Thinking back to the dream he had of Raven being buried alive he is forced to wonder was it Raven he saw gasping for breath or could Raven's spirit possibly somehow sent him the dream of what was happening to her sister so he could save her. He could swear that Raven lead him to where Ragen fell into the stream. "Could Raven have been trying to tell me you were in trouble with that dream?"

"What dream?"

"It would have been on the night you were attacked. You could have been the one in the dream not Raven and I just didn't see the difference then." He sits up suddenly and looks at Ragen. "You said the shadow that attacked you had four glowing eyes."

"It had to be more than just a shadow to attack like it did."

"It wasn't just a shadow." Richard mentally recalls what he thought about the shadow after researching Ragen's sudden appearance after Raven's death. "Raven defeated your father but if whatever was left of him is trying to reach out..." Richard gets up and paces around. "...if he wanted revenge why attack you too?" He stops and looks at Ragen. "Do you remember anything about being attack in the cemetery?"

"It felt like it was choking me. It was dark that night but it got darker...like it was closing in on me. It almost felt like it was sucking the life out of me."

Richard replays that last battle in his mind. Raven had clearly taken a bad hit from Cinderblock. Why hadn't her powers healed her though? They always did before. "You couldn't hold it off with your powers?"

"I can't do anything like Raven could." Ragen looks down at her hands before reaching up and feeling for the gem stone that should be on her forehead. "I could use them to do simple stuff like cleaning my room in moments. I couldn't heal anything more than a minor scrape. Right now I don't think I could do that."

Richard reaches into his pocket and pulls out the gemstone he found at the cemetery. "Would this help?"

Ragen looks at the gemstone he hands her. "I don't know..." She places the gemstone to her forehead and concentrates.

He watches as it magically seems to bind itself there. It makes her look more like Raven than ever and looking at her hurts.

She looks up at him and shakes her head. "My powers feel weak."

Suddenly it clicks in his mind Raven didn't heal herself because he couldn't. She was attacked when she was hurt and off guard. Trigon must have somehow drained her powers from her and when he found Ragen he tried to do the same to her. "Because they are what Trigon was after when he attacked you. He must have been interrupted and didn't drain them all. That means he is bound to come back for you."

Ragen shivers from the thought of that. She was lucky to survive the first time. She doubts that she will be so lucky if whatever her father has become returns for her.

"I'll protect you. I owe that to Raven."

"I don't know everything about my father, just that he is dangerous. I can't ask you to protect me."

"You're not...and I won't take no for an answer." He turns to the window as thunder suddenly booms in the distance.


	10. Chapter 10

**Forget****Me****Not**** 10**

***~****`10****~***

Richard stands on the small porch watching the approaching storm. It came up fast seemingly out of nowhere and it gives him a bad feeling. He grabs the railing when a gust of wind threatens to knock him off his feet. He looks over at the car and then to the tree lined mountain path. Trying to drive out of here would be a very bad idea. Bringing Ragen here in the first place is perhaps his biggest mistake of all. Richard turns as she stands in the doorway.

"You feel something bad coming too don't you?"

He nods as bolt of lightning appears to strike something from the direction of the small town.

Ragen shrieks at the resulting boom of thunder and fireball that rises above the tree line.

Richard quickly ushers Ragen back inside and shuts the door against the wind. He can't help but wonder if somehow he was being manipulated by Trigon all along to get Ragen alone somewhere far from the protection of the other Titans. They think he has lost his mind and wonders would they believe him, if he could tell them what he now knows. He isn't sure he can hold off some ghostly version of Trigon after it drained Raven's powers and most of Ragen's.

"You don't have to do this. You should go now before its too late."

"I'm not leaving you alone." He looks out the window at the coming storm. "Trigon is coming for you. I couldn't save Raven, but I will not let him take you too. I promise you that."

"Let me put it this way, you don't have to do this because you feel you owe it Raven. She never even knew about me."

"Maybe not before, but I'm sure she does now. I swear I saw her earlier. She lead me to where you fell and hit your head in the stream. Besides I'm not just doing this for her or you. I was a hero once and that is what they do. Its time I get back to doing what I do best."

Ragen nods, she can tell there is no way to change his mind. Finding something to knock him out and hide him somewhere safe briefly crosses her mind before a tree branch propelled by the wind shatters the window next to her.

Richard grabs Ragen forcing her down on the floor as he shields her with his body. This is no ordinary storm he realizes. Even if there was a way to call the other Titans they couldn't get through it to help and they are cut off from the town or whatever is left of it after that lightning strike earlier. He shoves the tree branch out of the way. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah. Trigon is really coming isn't he?"

He looks up as the power goes out. "I think he is already here." Richard keeps Ragen close to him as he stands up and looks around. He can only see by the intermittent flashes of lightning. He turns suddenly spotting a glow in the corner. Richard quickly wheels around toward it to see four glowing yellow eyes. "Stay behind me Ragen."

"Leave now boy and I will let you live."

Richard cringes at the voice of the demon which reverberates through the cabin like thunder. "After what the Titans helped Raven do to you? I think we both know that is a lie."

"Perhaps, but give me my daughter and I promise to end your existence mercifully quick."

"I don't think so."

"Come to me Ragen and you can spend eternity getting to know the twin sister that was hidden from you."

"Raven..."

"No Ragen!" Richard grabs Ragen's arm when he feels her move. "He's lying to you." He tries to keep himself between Ragen and the dark shadow form of the demon that advances on them.

"You can't keep her from me boy."

"Watch me." A flash of lightning reveals the lamps rise up and rush toward them. Richard pushes Ragen out of the way and tries to dodge them.

The lamps smash against the cabin the door. Trigon hurls the furniture at the boy in the darkness then moves toward Ragen.

Richard dives to the floor as the lightning reveals what is happening at the last second and lets everything collapse on top of him.

Ragen looks up terrified as the dark shadow form with the four glowing eyes advances on her. She tries to get up but is thrown back against the stairs and held there.

"Lets finish this shall we?"

She closes her eyes trying to shut out the sight of those four glowing eyes.

Richard climbs out from under the furniture. He doubts he can physically hurt the shadowy form of the demon, but just maybe there is something else he can do to stop it. He doesn't bother leaping at the demon but rather moves through it throwing himself on top of Ragen. "You want her, demon? You will have to go through me first."

"No...just go save yourself please."

"You should listen to her boy."

Richard leans down and whispers into Ragen's ear. "No matter what happens just run and don't look back."

"Wha-?" Ragen's question turns into a shriek as a flash of lightning reveals the demon's dark shadow form tries to pass through Richard.

Richard feels the force as the demon tries to rip through him but he focuses on it with all his will, refusing to let it go. He pushes against the stairs with his hands flinging himself away from the girl. "Run Ragen!"

She hesitates to move. "Stop it! He will kill you-"

"-Go Ragen."

_"Ragen..."_

Ragen turns as the door bursts open. "Raven...is that you?..."

_"Follow..."_

Ragen finds herself drawn out into the stormy night.

"No! Come back here daughter! I'm not finished with you yet!" Trigon tries to follow her only to find himself trapped within the boy's body.

"You aren't going anywhere Trigon."

"Foolish boy willingly allowing yourself to be possessed by a demon-"

"-You haven't possessed me." Richard gets up fighting to make it outside as he feels the demon clawing at his mind in attempt to take control.

"You will kill yourself!"

"If that's what it takes to stop you, I consider it a small price to pay." Richard grabs hold of the door facing and propels himself out the door.

***~****`'****~***

Ragen stops at the edge of the forest but feels herself dragged forward.

_"Hurry..."_

She slips down into a ravine and falls in front of a rocky outcrop.

_"Hide..."_

"But...Richard..." Ragen gets up and tries to turn back.

_"Hide...sleep..."_

Ragen falls to her knees. She feels so tired as she collapses and rolls under the rocky outcrop.

***~****`'****~***

Richard staggers down the porch steps. It takes every ounce of self control he has to keep the demon from taking over his body. He fights his way past the car and into the driveway that leads toward town. He stumbles as the wind and rain pound down upon him but manages to stay on his feet. He manages to make it away from the cabin and the trees to a point where he is the tallest thing standing. It is here he stops and stands holding his arms out to his sides. The pain as the demon inside tries to tear through his defenses and gain control is more than he can bear "Please help me to stop him for good Raven." Just when he thinks that he is about to lose all self control to the demon he feels a sense of completeness wash over him. For the first time since Raven died he feels whole again. "Raven..." Richard looks up into the sky. "...lets take this demon back where he belongs." For a brief moment there is nothing but bright light and the feeling of a thousand suns exploding inside him all at once and then there is only darkness."


	11. Chapter 11

**Forget****Me****Not**** 11**

***~****`11****~***

Epilogue

Ragen stands between two graves in the cemetery.

She doesn't remember much of what happened after Richard told her to run. Just waking up under the rocky outcrop. When she stumbled out of the forest disoriented the robot guy was there with man clad in black and they were both standing next to something laying in the road. She had run toward them crying Richard's name but the robot guy ran toward her, holding her back. No matter how they ended up here, in the end, Richard saved her.

Ragen looks down at the new grave. The city calls him Robin, but she only knew him as Richard. She reaches out and touches her sisters grave. "He loved you. Take care of him, wherever the two of you are now."

***~****`'****~***

Somewhere within the fiery depths of hell Raven looks up at her imprisoned father before turning away as a shadow falls over her. "You don't belong here Robin."

"Neither do you."

"Someone has to make sure he stays trapped this time. You should go. You sacrificed yourself to save Ragen. You could go-"

"-Anyplace would be hell without you Raven. I'm staying right here with you."

"Why would you..." Raven pauses listening to a voice from the sister she never met. She smiles as she looks at Robin.

"Why would I what?"

"I love you too."

***~****`'****~***

Ragen looks up as the clouds part revealing the sliver of a moon. In a tree nearby she can hear the singing of two birds.


End file.
